Dr Aslı Kandemir

Dr Aslı Kandemir

Department of Management
Research Fellow

Contact details

Email
a.kandemir@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
University House
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Aslı Kandemir is Research Fellow at the Wellcome Trust-funded project, “Access to Success Pathways for Inclusive Research Excellence (ASPIRE)” (2024-26). In the project, she leads the research development process, aiming to develop an innovative pilot to enhance how we understand, create, and embed (race-)inclusive research practice and excellence.

She joined the University of Birmingham in 2022 as the qualitative lead of Leverhulme Trust-funded “‘Free’ expression at School?” (2022-25) project in the School of Education. She has published peer reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and expert opinions, as well as curriculum and learning materials. She is a certified Aurora Leader (Advance HE, 2024) and an academic mentor (EMCC-accredited, 2022). As an Associate Fellow of Higher Education Academy, she has been teaching in higher education since 2016 across curricula on Sociology, Education Studies, Criminology, Youth Studies, Social Work, and Sociology of Work and Organisation at the University of Birmingham (2022-present), Keele University (2019-2020), Luleå University of Technology (2019), and Liverpool Hope University (2016-19).

Dr Kandemir's Research Gate profile

Qualifications

  • PhD in Sociology, Liverpool Hope University
  • MA in International Relations (European), Durham University
  • MA in Sociology, Ankara University
  • MA in Philosophy Group Teaching in Secondary Education, Ankara University
  • Minor in History of Philosophy, Middle East Technical University
  • BSc (Hons) in Sociology, Middle East Technical University

Biography

Dr Aslı Kandemir is an interdisciplinary social scientist. Her expertise lies in questions of youth, policy, and governance.

Teaching

  • Education, Policy and Society (MA Education)
  • Education Futures (Guest Lecturer MA Education)

Research

Youth

Policy

Governance

Other activities

Invited keynotes and talks

2025

  • “Policy Stakeholders and ‘Free Speech’ at School: Navigating Race, Religion, and Moral Panic”. Runnymede Trust, Towards a Fairer Future: Transforming Curriculum and Assessment for an Anti-Racist Education System, Roundtable Event.
  • “British Values from the Perspective of British-Turkish Youth”
    • The London School of Economics and Political Science, 34th BATAS Spring Symposium, Turkish Politics and Society in Flux: Identity, Policy, and Transnational Dynamics.
    • King’s College London, Nonreligion in a Complex Future, Researching School Values Workshop.
    • “Tolerance and Symbolic Borders: British-Turkish Identity, Values, and Community Cohesion”
      • Mossbourne Federation Conference, Excel Centre London.
      • Uppsala University, Department of Education, Didactics and Sociology of Education.
      • Stockholm University, Institute for Turkish Studies.

2024

  • “How to tackle hate speech at schools”. NASUWT (UK) and GEW (Germany), NASUWT Teachers’ Unions West Midlands.
  • “Tolerance and Symbolic Borders: British-Turkish Identity, Values, and Community Cohesion”
    • Leeds Beckett University, Centre for Research on Race Education and Decoloniality.
    • University of Birmingham, Domus Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Histories of Education and Childhood.
    • “In Spatiality of Populism: Discourse of Tolerance as Symbolic Border”
      • Maynooth University, The Sociological Association of Ireland (SAI) Annual Conference.
  • University of Galway, The Problem of Critique and Truth in Public – A Symposium.
  • “’Political views should be based on facts’: Policy Stakeholders Navigating Questions of ‘Free Speech’ in English Schools”. University of Warwick, Warwick Education Seminars.
Selected major conference presentations
  • 2025: Values for Cohesion: In the Shadow of Karagöz and Hacivat (University of Birmingham, School of Education Research and Scholarship Conference).
  • 2024: In Spatiality of Populism: Discourse of Tolerance as Symbolic Border (University of Birmingham, Institute for Research into Superdiversity (IRiS) Conference).
  • 2024: Policy Stakeholders and ‘Free Speech’ at School: Navigating Race, Religion, and Moral Panic (The European Sociological Association (ESA) 16th Conference, Porto).
  • 2024: Education in an Age of Uncertainty: memory and hope for the future (University of Cyprus, The European Educational Research Association (EERA) ECER).
  • 2024: FBVs or IBVs? Tolerance in Education Policy and British-Turkish Youth Identity (University of Birmingham, School of Education Research and Scholarship Conference: Working Locally and Globally to Improve Education for All).
  • 2024: Tolerance in Education Policy and Characterisation of Britishness for British-Turkish Youth (University of Strathclyde, Political Studies Association (PSA) 74th Annual Conference).
  • 2024: Policy Stakeholders and ‘Free Speech’ at School: Navigating Race, Religion, and Moral Panic (University of Strathclyde, Political Studies Association (PSA) 74th Annual Conference).
  • 2023: Education Policy and Youth Freedom of Expression on Race and Faith at School
    • Aston University, British Educational Research Association (BERA) Conference.
    • University of Glasgow, European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) Conference.
  • 2023: Exploring the Entanglements of Religion, Education, and Citizenship (University of Bristol, British Sociological Association SocRel Annual Conference).
  • 2023: Collaborative and Participatory Methods (University of Birmingham, School of Education Research and Scholarship Conference).
  • 2022: In Spatiality of Populism: Discourse of Tolerance as Symbolic Border (Aalborg University, Geographies of Populism in Europe Workshop).
Indicators of peer esteem

Since 2025: Co-Editor-in-Chief Turkish Area Studies Review

Since 2025: Editorial Board Member Race Ethnicity and Education

Since 2025: Council Member of the British Association for Turkish Area Studies

Since 2025: Policy and Curriculum Consultant to Runnymede Trust

Since 2025: Script Consultant for the Values for Cohesion Project

Since 2024: Member of the European Sociological Association

Since 2024: Academic Consultant to NASUWT Teachers’ Union

2024-25: Member of the Sociological Association of Ireland

Since 2023: Editorial Board Member Humanistic Perspective

Since 2023: Grant Assessor for the British Institute at Ankara

2023-24: Early Career Academics and Researchers (ECARs) Representative at the School of Education, University of Birmingham

Since 2022: Academic Mentor for the METU Alumni UK Association

2022-23: Academic consultant to the Birmingham Race Impact Group

Since 2017: Founder of Liverpool Turkish Society

Since 2017: Associate Fellow of The Higher Education Academy

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Rahman, MS, Kitching, K, Gholami, R & Kandemir, A 2026, 'Is religious expression supported at school? Examining youth perspectives in an age of antagonisms', European Educational Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041261428727

Kitching, K, Kandemir, A, Rahman, MS & Gholami, R 2026, 'Unfit for free speech? How minoritised youth expression and (self-)censorship is organised across schools in ‘no-majority’ cities', Race Ethnicity and Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2026.2669501

Kandemir, A, Kitching, K, Gholami, R & Rahman, S 2025, 'Basing views about race on facts? Meso-level policy actors’ navigation of anti-racist and faith-inclusive expression with schools', Ethnic and Racial Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2025.2520901

Gholami, R, Rahman, S, Kitching, K, Kandemir, A & Khokan, MR 2025, 'The neutral order of things: Race, faith and schooling in liberal democracy', British Journal of Sociology of Education, vol. 46, no. 7-8, pp. 955-973. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2025.2519489

Kitching, K, Kandemir, A, Gholami, R & Rahman, MS 2024, 'Education policy and ‘free speech’ on race and faith equality at school', Journal of Education Policy, vol. 40, no. 1, 2350039, pp. 66-68. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2024.2350039

Kandemir, A 2024, 'Genç İngiliz-Türklerin Gözünden ‘İngiliz Değerleri’', Heybe: Sosyal Hizmet ve Sosyal Politika Dergisi , vol. 6, 9, pp. 93-102.

Kandemir, A & Karabatak-Binns, H 2024, 'ODTÜMİST Mentorluk Programları ve Karşılıklı Mentorluğun Faydaları' COACH Magazine Türkiye. <https://coachmagazine.net/>

Chapter (peer-reviewed)

Kandemir, A 2026, Securitising Values: Religious Tolerance and The British-Turkish Community. in A Alsalloum (ed.), Tracing Intangible Cultural Migrant Heritage in the UK. 1 edn, International Perspectives on Migration, vol. 19, Springer, pp. 87-118. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-00472-7_4

Garvey, B, Gannon, J, Kandemir, A & Karabatak-Binns, H 2023, Reciprocal Mentoring in the Third Sector: Reciprocal Mentoring for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity: The Case of ODTÜMİST Mentoring Programme(s) for METU Graduates in Turkey . in J Haddock-Millar, P Stokes & N Dominguez (eds), Reciprocal Mentoring . 1 edn, Routledge, pp. 262-290. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003302537-4

Digital or Visual Products

Kandemir, A, Tsentides, L & Dogus Tandirci, D, Values for Cohesion Podcast Series, 2026, Digital or Visual Products. <https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/projects/values-for-cohesion-in-the-shadow-of-karagoz-and-hacivat/values-for-cohesion-podcast>

Kandemir, A, Inclusive British Values Guidebook_ENG_Voiceover, 2023, Digital or Visual Products, University of Birmingham.

Kandemir, A, Inclusive British Values Guidebook_TR_Voiceover, 2023, Digital or Visual Products, University of Birmingham.

Other contribution

Kandemir, A 2023, British Values: From a British-Turkish Community Perspective. University of Birmingham.

Other report

Kitching, K, Gholami, R, Kandemir, A & Rahman, S 2025, 'Free' Expression at School? The Making of Youth Engagements with Race and Faith: Final Project Report and Recommendations. University of Birmingham.

Rahman, S, Kitching, K, Gholami, R, Kandemir, A & Khokan, MR 2023, Youth Engagement with Race and Faith at School: National Pupil Survey Headline Findings Report. University of Birmingham. <https://more.bham.ac.uk/youth-engagement/wp-content/uploads/sites/70/2023/11/National-Pupil-Survey-Report-Final.pdf>

View all publications in research portal